U.S. Department of Education RWD Redesign
The purpose of this redesign was to reorganize and simplify the layout of the DoE website to make it less confusing for users and to make it more visually appealing.
U.S. Department of Education Website
The U.S. Department of Education website is text-heavy with a bland color palette. I chose to execute a RWD redesign for desktop and mobile.
Research
In this research project, interviews were planned and conducted with a broad range of current and potential users. The questions were structured to find out about user motivations and the usability of the DoE website.
Definition
According to the data, users typically come to the DoE website to learn how to acquire financial aid for college and to manage student loans. Users' pain-points included a confusing navigation system and layout, as well as a vibe that feels slightly cold and uninviting.
Ideation
In the initial sketches for the prototypes, I tried to keep simplicity in mind. As the design progressed, I wanted to incorporate a bold color palette and large images to compliment the simpler navigation and to add warmth.
Prototyping
The first low fidelity versions. User testing could now begin. Different color palettes and the navigation system were at the top of the list of elements to be tested.
Testing
During testing users were asked about fonts, the color palette, and navigation. Users unanimously felt that a Home button should be added to the pages of the mobile version.
Final Prototypes
Based on the data from the user tests, a home button was added to the final version. Additionally, the font of the copy above the images was increased and made bold, and the images were changed to help with confusion about what page the user was on.